​With the Labor Day holiday behind us, I can assure you that Eureka High School is running on all eight cylinders. The "Great Eclipse of 2017" was everything it was hyped up to be, at least at EHS. Although our attendance rate fell to 79.1%, it was quite impressive and memorable to see those students in attendance marvel at this astrological event. In addition, they experienced it with their friends and classmates on the football field while enjoying a picnic-style lunch. In the years ahead if they are asked "Where were you on August 21, 2017 during the Great Eclipse?", fond memories will return of their days at EHS.

Our athletic teams are three weeks into their seasons and doing very well. On Friday, August 25 the 2017 Girls' Soccer Team received their championship rings during the half time of the Wildcats vs. Francis Howell football game. This was a well-deserved evening of pride for the girls, coaches and parents on an outstanding athletic achievement.

If you haven't noticed, the construction of our P.E. facilities have been completed. The weight room is state-of-the-art, along with new tile work in the atrium of Gym B, which serves as the home crowd entry point to all home football games. The area behind the bleachers is inviting to all who enter, and don't forget to check out the planters and garden area on the south side behind the bleachers of the "Cat Pound." How about Gym A you ask? We're getting really close, so look for an "Open for Business" update very soon!

Our sophomores will take the Pre-ACT on Monday, September 25, followed by our first Parent/Teacher Conferences on Thursday, September 28. More information and times will follow from Mrs. Gilman and Mr. Calhoun.

EHS is an exceptional high school! The students, teachers, parents, parent organizations, academics, arts, and athletics make EHS what it is. And…don't forget the community, pride and traditions. What a package! My advice to you is to get involved in the great things that go on here at EHS. Be a part of your child's education and accomplishments; come join us at sporting events, concerts, shows and plays. Experience the "Wildcat Pride." You'll be glad you did.​

​Voting on Prop T will take place Thirteen (13) days from today. The following are a few reminders and FAQs about Prop T and the voting process:

I want to let you know that Rockwood has Prop T on the April ballot to address increasing enrollment, class sizes and our continued support for STEM and innovative learning.

WHEN IS THE ELECTION? Tuesday, April 4, 2017. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

WHERE CAN I VOTE? Just prior to Election Day, each registered voter will receive a postcard from the Election Office designating the polling place for the voter. You can find your polling place at www.stlouisco.com/YourGovernment/Elections.

HOW MANY "YES" VOTES ARE REQUIRED FOR THE BOND ISSUE TO PASS? The Constitution of the State of Missouri requires a four-sevenths (57.14%) majority for passage of the bond issue.

I would like to share with you two important issues related to Eureka High School. The first is additional information pertaining to Prop T which will be on the ballot on April 4, 2017. The second issue is the annual school character and climate survey. The third item is a link to the EHS PTO newsletter. I hope you find this information to be beneficial, and that you will take the time to take the survey to let us know your thoughts on the Rockwood School District and your child's education at Eureka High School.

Rockwood Superintendent Dr. Eric Knost continues to share Prop T information with our community. "We've been working hard the last three years to balance our budgets and be fiscally responsible," says Dr. Knost.

"Now we are aware of 2,300 homes being built in the district in the coming years. Prop T will not raise the current tax rate and will address increasing enrollment and our continued support for STEM/Innovative learning in the Rockwood School District."

We want to know what you think about your children's schools. Parents, take a few minutes to share your thoughts by completing the Rockwood School Climate Survey by March 24.

Why take the time to complete the survey? Because your feedback helps us make our schools even stronger. You'll answer questions about safety, character education, the teaching and learning environment, prevention services, and parent involvement as part of a district-wide program evaluation process. The results of the survey are important and will be used to help make decisions about our long-range planning. School principals will receive this information so they can make your child's school an even better place to learn.

As always, if you have questions or concerns, please contact me at Eureka High School, and I will do my best to assist you. I appreciate your time and interest in your child's education at EHS. Go Wildcats!

Do you know what the REAL risks are for teen drivers? Do you know what restrictions are in place for new teen drivers? Do you have a contract in place with your teen outlining your expectations when they get behind the wheel? Did you know that you can cancel your teen's driver's license until age 18? Learn about this and more in our parent-teen class, an essential part of our Driver Education classroom training and your teen driver's success.

​On Monday, February 13, the Eureka High School PE Department will present a parent-teen session on your driver's success. This will take place at 6:15-8:00pm in room 503. The EHS Driver's Education instructors will be on hand to share ideas with parents about how to help supervise, coach, and support your new teen driver. Please RSVP to grimshawtrevor@rsdmo.org with the names of those planning to attend.

On Tuesday, February 7, I attended the "Town Hall Meeting" presented by Dr. Knost. This was held at Eureka Elementary with a large, diverse crowd on hand. Dr. Knost gave an overview of the district needs associated with Prop T , a bond issue on the April 4 ballot, followed by a question -and -answer session. I learned a great deal, especially about the community of Eureka and future growth within the Eureka quadrant. I encourage everyone to get out there and learn more about Prop T (Thrive) and the projects it will fund for the Rockwood School District, and most importantly, Eureka High School.

EHS continues to move through the second semester with no snow in the future at this time. I wonder how long that will last? I would like to thank the many parents and members of the community for their cooperation last Wednesday, January 18. As many of you know, there was a serious accident on Highway 109 north of the EHS campus. This created quite a bit of chaos when it was time to dismiss the students. No traffic was permitted to go north on Highway 109, parents were arriving to pick up students, and the buses had to adjust their routes which all created a challenge. Thanks to your cooperation and patience, all students, buses, and staff made it home safely. This is a great time to discuss at home the use of seat belts and a reminder to be safe as we drive, observing all the rules when we are behind the wheel.

As many of y​ou also know, the Rockwood School District Board of Education approved a $95.5 million bond issue for the April 4 ballot. This bond issue, named Prop T, will not raise the current tax rate. Prop T projects include:

Building a new Eureka elementary school to address increased student enrollment and repurposing the existing school for early childhood education programs

Creating and equipping elementary innovative learning spaces to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in our curriculum, and completing the final phases of high school STEM lab renovations (including our own Eureka High School)

Adding classrooms to address increased student enrollment

Expanding the implementation of the one-to-one technology program

There will be more information shared as we move toward election day on April 4.

Although it is only January 2017, we are preparing for the 2017-2018 school year through the registration and enrollment process. The following are some steps and suggestions to follow if you would like to get a head start on this process. Our senior grade level principal, Mr. Dan Thoman, provides this information:

Online registration for course requests are currently open and will remain open until 4:00 PM on Monday, January 30, 2017. Course Request Registration Instructions may be found on the Rockwood School District website:

Important notes:• Questions about course selection should be referred to the school Guidance Counselor. • For technical support please contact Portal Help: portalhelp@rsdmo.org. • Students in Grades 9-12 should select core course requests before selecting alternate course requests.• For best results when searching for courses enter a partial course name or number.• All course requests are treated equally with no preference or partiality.

On Wednesday, February 1, Rockwood Summit High School is having a guest speaker on the topic of Anxiety in Children and Teens. EHS parents are also invited to attend. This will take place in the Rockwood Summit Theater from 7:00-8:30 PM. The following is a letter sent to the parents of Rockwood Summit students from Dr. Renee Trotier with her contact information.

​According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 25% of kids aged 13–18 have a diagnosable anxiety disorder at some point in their life. We certainly see the impact of anxiety on students in our elementary, middle, and high schools in Rockwood.

Amy Maus, MSW, LCSW, is the Assistant Director at West County Psychological Associates. She specializes in service to schools, providing training to school personnel and parents. On Feb. 1, Amy Maus will share information about anxiety in school-aged children and advice for families with a child experiencing anxiety with parents from Rockwood Summit and our feeder schools.

I heard Ms. Maus speak last year, and found the presentation to be very helpful as a parent. Ms. Maus has also shared her message with Rockwood Summit staff this fall. I'm very excited to have her back to speak with our parents.

If you or someone you know has a school-aged child experiencing anxiety, I highly recommend that you attend this presentation. You will be glad that you did. Feel free to invite or bring your friends from outside our quadrant. No RSVP is necessary. You can just show up.

I hope to see our families there!

Feel free to contact me via e-mail at trotierrenee@rsdmo.org or phone at 636-891-6813 if you have any questions.

The guest speaker and her message are highly recommended by the EHS Guidance Department. I encourage you to attend if this topic is of concern to you.

​Time seems to be flying by, and before you know it, it will be graduation day for the senior class of 2017. I encourage senior parents to stay up to date on the various activities and important dates for our seniors. If you have questions, please give us a call or contact the appropriate administrator. Our Welcome Center secretaries do an outstanding job transferring your calls to the people who can provide you with answers to your questions. Call us at 636.733.3100, you'll be glad you did.

​Second semester is in full swing at this point after the Holiday Break. Of course we continue to keep a watchful eye on the weather forecast. Thank goodness we have the Central Office to make the call if school is to be cancelled due to road conditions. The EHS girls swim team, wrestling team, and boys and girls basketball teams continue their seasons with occasional tournaments. These athletes and their coaches are extremely dedicated, so please check their schedules on line, and if you can work in a game or two, please do. They would appreciate your support. Here is a reminder to the parents of our juniors:

The state of Missouri requires your student to have two meningococcal immunizations prior to starting the 2017-2018 school year, unless the first immunization was given after the age of 16. This is to prevent meningitis. Please check with your family physician about the immunizations and send a copy of the records to the nurse's office. If you have any questions or difficulties getting the immunization, please call the nurse's office at 636.733.3108.

The EHS Admin team held class meetings on January 6 and 9 explaining rules and expectations. Mr. Thoman, the senior grade level principal, did an excellent job of informing the seniors of a variety of upcoming activities and dates that need attention as we approach graduation. I encourage senior parents to also stay informed regarding these issues as we proceed through the second semester.

Our students and staff are engaged in the rigors of the classroom demands as we settle into the second semester. If you have any questions, please give us a call at EHS so we can assist you.

​Things continue to be up and running at EHS. We survived the "Flood of 2015" and a snow day on January 20 that led to a water main break on January 21. Trust me, there is always action here. Back to the Flood! Today, I got a look at the new tile in the atrium of Gym A. It is beautiful as is the new floor in Gym A. The work crews are almost ready to start the process of staining and painting of the Gym floor in hopes that it might be ready for play some time at the end of February. So, keep your fingers crossed.

With the "drama" behind us, we are preparing for state standardized testing, wrapping up Winter sports, the beginning of Spring sports, and of course, graduation. As more excitement arises, I'll bring it to your attention… in the next blog!

We had a great first semester! I’ve enjoyed getting to know our students, families, teachers, staff and community. I’m a big believer in continuous improvement. As we finished our first semester, I want to hear from you!

Would you please take a few minutes to complete a short survey? Here is the link. You can also find the survey link on the home page of our school website from January 4-18.

Thank you, in advance, for taking the time to share your opinions with me. My goal is to make Eureka High an even better place for our students and staff.

The month of November and Thanksgiving break seemed to fly by us here at EHS. Today is December 1, and the next three weeks will be no different. The Boys and Girls Basketball teams, Wrestling, and Girls Swim team are all up and running for the winter season ahead. The EHS teachers and students are preparing for semester finals which will take place December 15-18 leading us to winter break. I would like to ask that no recent EHS graduates or other visitors attempt to randomly visit our campus during December allowing our staff and students to concentrate on the teaching and learning process. It is a stressful time for some and we would appreciate your cooperation on this issue. However, if you have an appointment, or would like to speak to an Administrator, please check in at the Welcome Center as usual. We appreciate your cooperation.

We need your HELP!!! One of EHS' finest groups is in need of your vote. "Voices of Gold," a group consisting of twenty EHS vocalists, has entered a contest to open for "Pentatonix" and Adam Lambert when they visit St. Louis in a couple of weeks. Out of twenty schools that auditioned, "Voices of Gold" was selected as one of the top five!

Here is where your vote comes in. The following is a portion of Mr. Kinnison's email that explains the voting procedure:

The judges have selected Eureka High School choir as one of their Favorite Five! Starting tomorrow, November 30th at 6:00am voting will open to the public.The top voted choir at the end of open voting will receive the opportunity to perform LIVE on stage as the opening act of the "Let It Snow" Show performing along with Rachel Platten, Pentatonix, and Adam Lambert on December 16th at the Peabody Opera House.Voting will close on Wednesday, December 9th at 5:00pm.Each voter is allowed to vote a maximum of one (1) time per hour. One vote per hour, per email address, per person. Anyone engaging in false, fraudulent or deceptive acts in connection with this promotion will be voided and may cause the benefitting school to be disqualified from the competition. Go to www.now963.com to see full contest rules. If you have any questions, reply or email us at ContactUs@now963.com.Go to www.now963.com and start voting for you high school choir!

In order to vote, you must create an account on the website www.now963.com with a valid email address. You can opt out of email contact when you create your account. We hope that you will take the time to vote for "Voices of Gold" and help get this group on stage. This would be great exposure for these students as they represent Eureka High School. Don't forget, you can vote every hour, 24 hours each day. So let the voting begin!!!​